Love horoscopes: Aug. 18 – Aug. 24

Christopher Renstrom is the creator of Rulingplanets.com which is his idea of an on-line, subscription-based, interactive Astrology Magazine. It is based on his bestselling book Ruling Planets, which was published by HarperCollins in 200...

Come clean

Good intentions can pave the way to a hellish situation when Mercury forms an opposition to Neptune on Aug. 18. Guilt over not wanting to hurt his feelings can lead you to create the impression that you're interested in him romantically when you aren't. You always want to avoid fostering false hopes when Neptune is powerful because the subsequent disappointment will be made even more crushing when he finds out that you never felt the same way that he did. It's much better to tell it like it is. It's bound to be painful — these sorts of conversations are supposed to be — but he will think better of you for being honest. As will you.

Meeting his family and friends is always tricky. You want to make a good impression and win them on over to your side, but you also don't want to feel beholden. It's important to remember that a feeling of ownership goes both ways. They're just as possessive and protective of their relationship with him as you are of yours. The moon/Mars trine this week shows that this is a good time to get to know the important people in his life. The mixing and blending of watery energy shows that you share similar interests, humor and values.